


Black Siren: Redemption

by ArlyssTolero



Series: Black Siren [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23723080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArlyssTolero/pseuds/ArlyssTolero
Summary: What if Oliver Queen, seeking allies in the pipeline against the Dominator threat, had discovered Black Siren and freed her instead of Prometheus? What might have happened then? Redemption is in the cards not only for the Siren, but for Oliver himself as he struggles against his darkest demons.
Relationships: Earth-2 Laurel Lance & Quentin Lance, Earth-2 Laurel Lance & Sara Lance, Earth-2 Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen & Team Arrow, Roy Harper/Thea Queen
Series: Black Siren [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708699
Comments: 16
Kudos: 40





	Black Siren: Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, or Supergirl.
> 
> A/N: This story was originally written and posted in the summer of 2017, I believe, and it was written with chapters that generally fell below the 2K-word per chapter mark. Some weren’t even 1K words. I’ve decided to post it as a stand-alone long-shot. The chapters that originally served to tell Black Siren’s origin story have been turned into their own stand-alone one-shot, “Black Siren: Origins”.

Everyone knew once they had turned away that spook that they would probably be getting no help from the government, and for most of them, that was simply fine. It was a well-known fact that most of them saw the government as, at best, incompetent, and with this regard, they knew the government was going to just let the Dominators do as they wished. With the rest of the gathered heroes prepping for the battle against the Dominators and planning how to deal with them, Oliver slipped away and headed directly for S.T.A.R. Labs. They knew the Dominators were targeting metahumans, and since they weren't going to just hand over Barry (despite the other man's intent to do exactly that) that meant _any_ metahuman would be in danger. While they couldn't do much about the meta's being held in Iron Heights, Oliver knew that Barry still kept some of his more dangerous enemies in the pipeline, and right now, they needed dangerous. With Supergirl and the Legends here, Oliver was confident that they could keep the more dangerous ones who were still in the pipeline from becoming a threat to the public.

The first obstacle Oliver found when he entered S.T.A.R. Labs was the presence of Wally West and H.R. Wells. He hung back for a moment, listening to the two of them talk with each other. Despite the injury he had received, Wally wanted to help but was being blocked by his father, sister, and Barry. Oliver sighed inaudibly at hearing this; he had done the same thing to Laurel and to Thea, trying to keep them as far from the fight as possible. He knew how that had ended; Laurel was dead, and Thea was broken because of the Pit and her training with Malcolm, training she'd taken because Oliver hadn't been truthful with her and she had fallen right into her father's grasp. Oliver stepped into the Cortex, causing Wally and H.R. to look up. "Barry and your family are wrong," Oliver said, causing both men's eyes to widen (and Wally to look hopeful). "Sure, you might not be able to fight the Dominators, but that doesn't mean you can't help, Wally. If the Dominators come out in force, people will be in harm's way. You are fast enough you can get them out of there in time, Wally."

"Thanks, Mr. Queen," Wally said. "I-I just want to help. But can I ask… why are you here?"

"To recruit any of the meta's in the pipeline," Oliver said simply. "The Dominators are targeting all metas, and I think they deserve a chance to defend themselves. Don't you? With Supergirl and the Legends, I think we have more than enough to handle any of them."

"Actually, there's only one meta in the pipeline," Wally said. "Barry didn't want to tell you about them." Oliver's eyes narrowed at this, and Wally gulped. "Uh, but if you think they can help, I'll take you down now," Wally added hurriedly. He suddenly realized why Barry and Joe tangled so much over Barry's friendship with the Green Arrow. The man was intense, and they weren't even fighting. Wally didn't want to know what Green Arrow looked like when he was going full-bore in a fight; he knew Oliver had saved his ass when he got knocked out by their mind-controlled allies.

Oliver followed Wally down to the pipeline. "Who is this meta?" Oliver asked. "Why would Barry hide them from me, specifically?"

Wally looked over at the man. "She calls herself Black Siren," Wally said. "She's. . . she's the Earth-2 Laurel Lance."

Oliver's mouth opened slightly in shock before his lips thinned. Wally winced and was glad he wasn't Barry Allen right now. He brought up the cell that Black Siren was being held in and moved it into position. Oliver fingered the modulator in his pocket and turned it on after a moment of hesitation. He nodded to Wally, who opened the pipeline. " **Leave us,** " Oliver told Wally, who scampered away as Black Siren stretched leisurely before standing.

"So, what's this?" Black Siren asked, eying the figure who was standing in the shadows. "You're not one of Red's little pets, I can tell that much. Those shoulders look so climbable. You let me out and I can show you a good time."

" **Why were you locked in here in the first place?** " Oliver asked, thankful for the voice modulator. " **Why weren't you returned to Earth-2?** "

"No idea," Black Siren said. "Red let everyone else go but kept me around. Dunno why. From what I hear, he and my poor little doppelganger didn't exactly know each other very well, and I doubt Robert wants a reminder of his son around him in this world."

" **Robert?** " Oliver asked.

"Green Arrow, the Hood, whatever he's calling himself these days," Black Siren said dismissively. "Only reason I even know about my little doppelganger is because Zoom assured me that I wouldn't have to deal with the entropy problem."

" **Entropy problem?** "

"Why do you think all those metas who came through before me killed their doppelgangers?" Black Siren asked. "Two of us can't exist in the same dimension for an extended period of time, not in close proximity at any rate."

" **So, you know nothing about what happened ten years ago,** " Oliver said. " **You think it's the same as what happened on your world. I'm guessing Oliver Queen died with your sister, and Robert Queen survived?** "

"Sister?" Black Siren asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't have a sister. Only child here. Its why me, Ollie, and Tommy got along so well. We were only children."

" **That must be one of the differences, then,** " Oliver said, even as he realized that Malcolm and his mother must not have had an affair in Black Siren's world. " **In this world, you had a sister: Sara. She went on the _Gambit_ with Oliver. Both of them ended up becoming something else. Oliver became the Green Arrow in this world, and Sara calls herself the White Canary. The Laurel Lance of this world gave her that name.**"

"Oh, that's so cute," Black Siren said mockingly, but Oliver noted her voice catch slightly. "So, Ollie was a bit of a philanderer like his dad here, huh?"

Oliver took only a moment to make the decision. He turned off his modulator and stepped forward. Black Siren's expression morphed into one of shock. "Sorry to say I was," Oliver said softly. "But to be fair… Laurel wasn't willing to see that I wasn't ready for the level of commitment she wanted. And I think five years of torture and becoming a killer are more than enough payment on my soul for what I did to her."

"So, I'm guessing Red didn't tell you about me," Black Siren finally said, recovering from her own shock at seeing an Oliver Queen who was alive and well (and, according to him, playing the role his father did in her world). "Still makes me wonder why you're here. The Green Arrow I know would be here just to gloat that I've finally been taken down a peg or two. He doesn't exactly like me; thinks I dishonor his son's memory or something." Black Siren scoffed at that. "Pretty sure not sleeping with anyone for the past ten years and being broken by my Oliver's death doesn't mean I'm dishonoring him." She tilted her head at Oliver. "So, tell me, what's the reason you're down here?"

"You're right, I didn't know about you," Oliver said. "As for why I'm here: there's a race of aliens called the Dominators. They intend to wipe out every metahuman on the planet. While we've assembled a group to fight them, I knew Red, as you call him, tends to keep his more dangerous foes here."

"Aw, I'm one of his more dangerous enemies?" Black Siren asked mockingly. "Not surprising; he's only alive because his little protégé hit me with a car." At Oliver's quick double-check, the Siren laughed throatily. "Don't worry, handsome," Black Siren added teasingly. "Being a metahuman has its perks, like being more durable. There's a reason it takes specialized equipment or another meta to take us down most of the time." Black Siren tilted her head. "So, you want me to help fight off these Dominators. What do I get in exchange, other than getting a chance to decide my own fate with these creeps?"

Oliver met the Siren's gaze steadily. It was so very odd, seeing a woman who looked so like his Laurel, but who had a hard edge that she had never possessed; it was why he had worried so about her being in the field; Laurel's enthusiasm for the life had been tempered by the reality of it, as she discovered in her first ventures as the Black Canary. This version of Laurel had learned those lessons a long time ago but didn't have the light in her that Laurel had had. _She's like I was,_ Oliver realized silently. _Or is it like I still am?_ After a few more moments, Black Siren gave a mocking wave. "Hello, Siren to Green Bean," she called mockingly. "You gonna answer my question or just stare at me? Don't get me wrong, I know I got a killer body," she smirked at the double entendree, "but it’s just a little weird for my dead boyfriend's doppelganger to be staring at me like this."

Oliver coughed and said, "Well, I _can_ get Barry to run you back to Earth-2 if that's what you want," Oliver said. "Think on what you want to do, Siren. But if you're willing to fight with us…" Oliver released her. "I'm hoping there's a part of you, however small, that's like the Laurel I knew, the Laurel who wanted to help people even without a reward. But if that's what you need to help us, I'll do my best to get it for you."

Black Siren tilted her head, smirking. "I'll get back to you on that," she said. "For now, I think it’s time we surprise Red. I can't _wait_ to see the fireworks from this," she added with relish. She took Oliver's arm instinctively, and he accepted it, his mind already focused on the return to the staging area for their fight against the Dominators… and the inevitable confrontations with Barry and his team, not to mention the reactions from Sara and Thea, who according to Siren, didn't exist in his world. Which brought him out of his thoughts as he looked over at her.

"You should know that Sara is one of the people here," he said. "She might actually see something of herself in you, but how she reacts… that I can't tell you. There's also… my sister."

"Huh, you had a sister in this world," Siren said. "My Oliver always wanted one, but his parents were too busy fighting about something to have another kid."

"Thea's father is Malcolm Merlyn," Oliver said, and he felt Siren stiffen in shock for a moment. "I'm guessing things happened differently in your world?"

"Yeah," Siren said. "Malcolm was killed with his wife. Tommy went to live with Ollie and his parents until he was eighteen. Then he left; he was so full of anger and rage that Robert let him go without any issue. He came back a few years ago; he'd found a way to control the darkness inside him. He helped me deal with mine, for a time."

"Tommy always did struggle with his emotions," Oliver nodded with a sigh. "He always hated the idea he would become his father." Oliver looked over at Siren. "If I may ask… did your world have an Undertaking?"

"We did," Black Siren said, her eyes distant. "But I-I don't feel up to talking about it right now. Sorry. Maybe once we get to know each other better. Childhood memories are easy; more recent ones are hard."

"I understand," Oliver said softly. "My Tommy died to save our world's Laurel during the Undertaking; he had the soul of a hero. I'm glad you had a Tommy in your world." Black Siren hid the flash of guilt on her face as she heard this Oliver reminisce about a Tommy that she had never met, but who sounded like the Tommy she had known _before_ he returned not long after the _Gambit_ had sunk. Black Siren wondered if this Oliver would be able to take the truth about Moira Queen and Tommy Merlyn in her world; so far, he hadn't asked about his father's doppelganger. _That's if we make it through this whole alien thing, and if I stick around,_ Black Siren reminded herself. But she wondered if going back to Earth-2 was even an option for her; she was a wanted criminal on that world, for more than a few reasons but particularly because of her alliance with Zoom. _Don't think about that,_ she told herself sternly as she left S.T.A.R. Labs for the first time since her imprisonment. She closed her eyes as she felt the sun on her skin. She felt Oliver pull away, allowing her a moment, and she was glad for it.

Oliver, for his part, was watching Black Siren with a sad expression. He didn't know what her story was, but he could tell enough to know that this version of Laurel had led a much darker life than his Laurel had; this version, this Black Siren, had lived a life similar to what he and Sara had lived. The way she acted when she stepped out of S.T.A.R. Labs… it reminded Oliver too much of how he had felt once he'd freed himself of Waller, how he knew Sara must have felt once she was finally free of the League of Assassins after being resurrected. Oliver's lips thinned as he realized that this time, it hadn't been A.R.G.U.S., the League of Assassins, or even H.I.V.E. that had done this; it had been someone he knew.

Intellectually, he knew this wasn't the same Laurel he knew, that Barry probably had a good reason for having her locked up; but in his heart, he saw a woman who was the doppelganger of his first love being imprisoned by someone he called a friend. It gave him a new perspective on his use of Lian Yu's island prison for some of his own enemies, Slade Wilson being the one that sprung foremost in his mind. But even he knew that A.R.G.U.S.'s Supermax was nowhere near as inhumane as the Pipeline; prisoners of A.R.G.U.S. at least were treated to basic human rights outside of interrogation. Black Siren hadn't even had that; she hadn't even been afforded basic human rights because she didn't technically exist in this world.

Black Siren finished soaking up the feel of the sun and turned to Oliver, lips quirking upward as she saw the dark intent in his eyes as he watched her. She knew that look; she had seen it in the eyes of several people in her life to this point, and each one of them was contemplating violence. The only difference was, she knew that this Oliver wasn't contemplating violence against her or wholesale violence against an innocent population like Zoom, Tommy, and Moira…

Wally joined them with H.R. in tow, and Oliver nodded to the two. "Let's go," he said quietly, and the four headed off to face the other members of this 'league' of heroes.

**_*DC*_ **

"Wally, don't react to whatever your family says," Oliver told the younger man. "Remember that you are here to provide aid to the people caught in the crossfire, not to fight, and you'll be able to hold back your anger. Having a purpose gives a person strength." Wally nodded silently, and squared his shoulders as he, H.R., Oliver, and Black Siren entered the hangar where the other members of the task force Barry and Oliver had assembled were practicing against Kara or working on the tech to deal with the Dominators.

It took a few moments for people to take notice of the four. Team Flash were instantly on alert at the sight of Black Siren, but kept from acting when they noticed that she was seemingly relaxed by Oliver's side; Joe noticed Wally's presence and tensed, as did Iris, both wondering if they were going to have to talk to him again. The reactions from Team Arrow and Team Legends, though, were much more dramatic.

Thea's hand went to her mouth as she saw the woman that she had considered a big sister, and in some ways an almost replacement mother for when Moira had been distant or gone, standing beside her brother, alive and well, tears welling up in her eyes. Felicity's mouth opened slightly, stunned at the sight (though not for the reasons that Oliver suspected, as he would learn soon enough). Diggle's eyes widened as he saw the woman that he held himself responsible for the death of because he had trusted his brother.

Ray Palmer looked sideways to where Sara was looking at Black Siren in disbelief. "Team Arrow, Team Legends," Oliver said, "this is Dinah Laurel Lance of Earth-2, better known as Black Siren. She'll be joining our fight." Oliver's gaze hardened as he looked at Barry. "We _will_ be discussing this later, Barry. But right now, we need to focus on stopping the Dominators. But there _will_ be a conversation."

Barry nodded quickly, hoping to hurry along the discussion because he had seen the lethal look from Sara Lance. Sure, he was a Speedster, but Oliver had proven that that wasn't everything, and Sara had been trained to strike from the shadows much more than Oliver had at the time he trained Barry. Cisco, meanwhile, was frowning as he glanced over at Felicity, who didn't meet his eyes.

His lips thinned but he decided he would wait until after the fight to tell Oliver what had happened. When Dante had died, he had realized what he was putting Sara, Oliver, and the Lance sisters' father through by not giving them the opportunity to get to know the Siren. Who knows; maybe they'd even be able to reach her. So, he had sent the information to Felicity since she was Team Arrow's communications and tech expert, like he was for Team Flash.

"Why's Wally here?" Joe asked.

"Better question is why you're here, Joe," Oliver said. "Or Iris, for that matter. Are you getting Captain Singh to organize a barricade to keep citizens who are too curious for their own good from getting in the way? Is Iris going to use her status as the go-to reporter of the Flash to warn the people of Central City, if not the world, to not provoke the Dominators? What roles, exactly, do you and Iris play in this specific scenario?" Iris, at least, looked down slightly. She had to admit that Oliver had a point; she and Joe had just been hanging around, not using their skills or positions for much. Joe, on the other hand, was still waiting for why Wally was here.

"As to Wally," Oliver said, realizing why Joe was silent for now: "He may not be able to fight the Dominators, and he shouldn't. But he _is_ fast enough to be there to help evacuate people caught in the crossfire. And make no mistake, there _is_ going to be crossfire, Joe. This threat is too widespread, and even if we stretch our forces, there's going to be holes in our defense. Wally can make the difference when it comes to how high the casualties are, and the fact you think you're protecting him reminds me of my own sins."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Joe asked.

"Moira Queen. Roy Harper. Thea Queen. Samantha and William Clayton. Laurel Lance," Oliver listed off. "Every single one of these people are people I tried to protect from this life, Joe. My mother is dead because I wouldn't warn my family about Slade Wilson; Roy is on the run, living under a false identity because he sacrificed himself to keep me out of prison when I was outplayed by Ra's al Ghul; my sister _almost died_ and suffered from the effects of the Lazarus Pit because, again, I underestimated Ra’s’ ruthlessness and cunning; my son and his mother have to live in hiding because of the life I lead, because I got involved with him; and a woman I loved for over half my life, who was also one of my two best friends since I could count my age in single digits, was killed by one of _my arrows_ because I needed to make sure the idol Darhk was using was one I'd encountered before." Oliver took in a shaky breath, centering himself with a technique from the League of Assassins, before giving Joe a hard look. "That, Joe, is the cost of _protecting_ your loved ones instead of giving them the information they need to _protect themselves_. I hope you never have to send any child of yours away or hold someone you love in your arms as they die, because you were too _proud_ to accept advice from a _killer_."

Oliver stalked away; Black Siren smirked at Team Flash and followed him. Sara and Thea flitted after them a moment later, leaving the rest of the gathered teams to consider what Oliver had said, and whether they had done the same thing themselves.

Diggle moved away to think on things while Felicity remained where she was, wondering if Oliver would find out what she had done. She hadn't really meant to keep it secret; not really. But she had thought it would hurt him more to see a version of Laurel who was so twisted from the one they had known; and, she admitted to herself, she had thought his blind spot when it came to the Lance sisters would keep him from approaching Black Siren objectively. Ray Palmer, Jax, and Professor Stein moved away to talk things over between them. Nate and Amaya likewise secluded themselves to talk about Oliver's impromptu speech. Mick… well, Mick was Mick.

Iris started for the hangar door. "Iris?" Barry asked, a bit confused.

Iris turned to her boyfriend. "Oliver's right, Barry," she told him. "I can't do any good here aside from providing moral support. But out _there_ , I can help you more. I can warn people to stay off the streets, give them hope because a league of heroes, misfits, and outcasts are going to stand between them and the Dominators. The world's seen these ships, Barry; there's no ability to cover it up like the government did before. The people need hope, now more than ever. I may not wear a mask, but I can do my part, and it's not here." Iris turned on her heel and left. Barry couldn't help but smile. Iris had been a bit listless of late; he knew she felt like she could be doing more. Even though Barry was dreading the confrontation with Oliver, he was glad the older vigilante had decided to leave it for after they had stopped the Dominators. He just hoped Black Siren wouldn't turn on them afterward. _Not that you could blame her if she did,_ a nasty little voice whispered in his mind, a voice he tried to ignore.

Joe sighed and headed out as well. "I don't like him, but he was right," Joe said. "I should be doing more. I'm supposed to be our team's contact with the police." Joe looked at Wally. "I know I can't stop you," he said. "Just… be careful, Wally. Please?"

"I will, Dad," Wally promised. Joe hugged his son, and then headed back to the precinct, intent on doing what he could. He hated that Queen was right, but he wasn't going to ignore what the man had said. He _should_ be using his position to help this fight since they knew the government wasn't going to do much. He'd think on the rest of what Queen said later.

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver stopped once he was outside of the hangar. He had felt the Siren following him, and the light footsteps approaching told him they'd been followed by the two people most likely to want to speak to the Siren in private: their sisters. "Gotta say," Siren told him as she stood beside him, looking out at Central City and the Dominator ship looming overhead, "you sure know how to make a speech."

"Well, I am the mayor of Star City," Oliver chuckled. "I had to get good at public speaking. Learning to channel my passion into my speeches was a big part of that."

"Huh, mayor by day, vigilante by night?" Siren asked, and Oliver nodded. "That's gotta make things interesting for your security detail." She was silent for a moment. "Thank you," she said. When Oliver looked at her, Siren clarified, "Thank you for letting me out of that hole. I'm with you in this fight, if only because of that. I was wondering. . . on this Earth, is-is my dad alive?"

"Yeah," Oliver said with a sad smile. "Quentin's my deputy mayor, though right now he's on sabbatical. He took our Laurel's death hard. Thea got him into rehab and he's doing well." Oliver glanced over at Siren. "You lost your father in Earth-2, didn't you?"

"The Undertaking," Siren said. "For us, it was six years ago, not five. I went to Central City afterward, and the Accelerator changed me. After that…" Siren shook herself. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"It's because you're like us," Sara Lance said softly from behind them. Siren turned with Oliver as Sara and Thea, who had been hanging back, came to stand with them. "Kindred spirits seek each other out, no matter where they come from or what masks they wear," Sara said with a sad smile. "It's what made Rip Hunter assemble the team he did, the team I'm responsible for now. All of us were misfits, outcasts, people who would never have an impact on the world in an open manner. The League of Assassins has been a haven for those who are broken for centuries. Oliver's teams always seem to be about giving people a second chance, no matter how dark their past."

Black Siren gave Sara a hesitant smile. "So, I guess you're Sara," she said. Sara's eyebrow raised at this. "I never had a sister on my Earth," Black Siren told her, and Sara's lips formed an 'o'. "But I'm guessing you wouldn't want to know me if you knew what I've done."

"I was an assassin," Sara said pointedly. "I don't think I got any ground to judge you for doing anything you had to do to survive. Ollie and I have both done that in the past decade, more than once. Heroes are nice and all, but they tend to need to be flashy and stand on a moral high ground. Ollie and I prefer the shadows. We don't need recognition for what we do, because we learned how to do it by making mistakes, mistakes that got people killed. We also know that not everything is black and white. If you stick around, you can talk to us in your own time. For now, just know that you have people you can turn to."

Black Siren nodded. Sara turned to Oliver. "So, she was locked up by Barry?" she asked. She'd noted that Oliver didn't even bother keeping Barry's identity a secret in this case. She guessed it was one of his methods of testing people; he did it unconsciously, like she did, like Ra's had. It was part of their League training, and he had gotten a lot more of it as he had been trained to take Ra's' place (something they still had to discuss). At Oliver's brief nod, Sara's lips thinned. "I get why he didn't tell me; I wasn't exactly somewhere people could contact easily," Sara said. "But you? My dad? I might just join your discussion with him once we deal with the Dominators."

"I'll welcome the back up," Oliver said. "You're about the only one who can override Felicity when she gets going, and she always does in defending Barry's actions."

Sara scoffed. "I never got to ask this last year, but exactly when did you cut off your balls and hand them over to Felicity for safekeeping?" she asked. Black Siren couldn't help the laugh that sprang from her mouth at this, while Thea looked surprised. "The Ollie I knew two years ago would've shut her down with how she treated him. But you just rolled over like a loyal lap dog. So, when did you castrate yourself?"

"I think we're gonna get along just fine," Black Siren told Sara, who smirked at the doppelganger of her sister. Maybe she couldn't change time, but she had a form of her sister back, and this one was less… well, less _Rigid Laurel_ as she had nicknamed her sister at one time. She loved her sister as much as everyone else, but Laurel had always had a thing about being too wild. Black Siren turned and raised an eyebrow. "So, Green Bean, I do believe Sara still needs an answer?"

"I am _so_ using that to tease him later," Thea whispered to Sara, who snickered. Both found a part of the loss they had felt being soothed, and both wondered if this woman had always been just beneath the surface with their Laurel; if so, what was it that had pushed her to be less rigid? They both wanted to hear the answer and feared doing so.

Oliver, for his part, looked like a hunted man. "I suddenly feel like introducing you three was a bad idea,' he muttered. "And I was trying to be _better_ ," he said. "To be more like Barry is."

"I get it," Sara said, smiling sadly. "But that's not who we are, Ollie. There's heroes who fight in the light of day, like Barry and his friend Kara, and then there's those like us, who fight in the shadows to serve the common good." Sara tilted her head. "Speaking of, shouldn't you have gotten help from the League? I know you have that whole twisted relationship with Malcolm."

"The League's gone, Sara," Oliver said, blinking in surprise. Shock flickered across Sara's features. "I removed Malcolm from power and gave the Ring to Nyssa, like I should've in the first place. She disbanded the League and destroyed the Ring. I can put out a call to her. I'm sure she'd like to see you."

"So, what's Malcolm up to now?" Sara asked.

"Hopefully rotting somewhere," Thea said bitingly. "Bastard's drugged me twice and gave my nephew up to Damien Darhk. He deserves everything bad he gets and more."

Oliver, meanwhile, had stepped away. He had a call to make, if only because he knew his wife by the laws of the League would be very irritated if he didn't tell her Sara had been here. They might respect one another, but Oliver knew better than to anger a woman with the skills of an assassin. Even as he called, he considered what Sara had said. It was something he had considered during the past few months, but a part of him still wanted to be the same kind of hero Barry was. But maybe that was fool-hardy on his part… he had told Barry once their cities were vastly different, and yet he had spiraled downward and rebuilt himself as Green Arrow, trying to ignore the darkness that had given him his strength all these years.

_***DC*** _

It had taken some fancy talking (and a promise for a live interview with the Flash that she was gonna have to convince Barry to do once this was all over), but Iris had been given clearance to do a live broadcast. She had noticed when Oliver was talking earlier that he had done so from his heart, and it had affected everyone. She knew that was what they needed. She had never done anything like this before; she had mainly done the newspaper angle of C.C.P.N. but had somewhat dreamed of being part of the broadcast part of the news empire she was employed with one day later. Since she _was_ the person with the 'in' with the heroes, she was given the chance to cross over much quicker than most (especially since even her bosses were afraid of the alien ship hovering over their city).

"You're live in three, two…" the anchor said, giving her the signal.

"Good morning," Iris said. "My name's Iris West and I'm coming to you live from Central City where, like elsewhere in the world, we now have a massive alien ship hanging over our heads. What the world doesn't know is that these aliens came here because of the metahumans on our world. Their goal is to destroy the lives of everyone with the metahuman gene, be they man, woman, or child. I've met many metahumans, good and bad; not a single of them has been purely evil, and more often than not they lash out due to fear of themselves, fear of being treated as freaks. But they are people, just like us. Hating metahumans or wanting to turn them over to the alien threat, who call themselves the Dominators, would be like turning away as the Nazis filled their concentration camps, as African-Americans were lynched without trial, as those from the L.G.B.T. community are beaten or killed. One difference in genetics, and somehow, they are the root of all evil? No.

"What's evil is standing by as the criminal and corrupt do nothing. The governments of the world were going to allow the Dominators to do what they wished, but a team of heroes has chosen to stand against the Dominators. Under the leadership of The Flash of Central City and the Green Arrow of Star City, a team of heroes, misfits, and outcasts is preparing to take the fight to the Dominators, to keep every man, woman, and child, be they human or metahuman, safe from the Dominator threat. I'm very proud to be able to consider myself a friend of the people who would stand as a line between such a great threat and our world. For those who are metahumans and hiding themselves, don't lose hope; don't feel as though you are destined for darkness. I have seen people get powers and worry because of how many meta's have lost themselves. But the very fact that you worry is what makes you stronger than those who have become lost in their own power. You have kept your humanity, in one way or another.

"Metahuman, human, vigilante, hero, civilian, soldier. . . these are labels, labels put on us by society. We can choose to accept these labels and the connotations that come with it, or we can make these labels are own, defy the expectations, and show that we're not a label, we're people. This is Iris West, Central City Picture News, and a proud supporter of those heroes who put themselves between civilians and harm's way, whether they wear a mask, a uniform, or street clothes." Iris nodded to the cameraman, who cut the feed and she let herself sit down on her desk. What she did not know was that her words, aired across the world thanks to a little help from Felicity, Cisco, and Curtis keeping the governments from shutting the feed down, had inspired those who were hiding their natural abilities out of fear to take up the call.

In London, a dark-haired beauty with an air of both cynicism and innocence about her opened a chest that contained the breastplate, boots, sword, and shield she had not worn in years.

In Gotham City, a billionaire entered his headquarters below his manor, booting up the computer and reaching out to his former apprentices, as well as his newest protégé.

In Coast City, Hal Jordan fingered the ring that was in the pocket of his bomber's jacket.

In Opal City, Roy Harper found the suit Oliver had given back to him (Thea's was a different suit, he had learned) and checked over his equipment.

In Metropolis, a young man with dark, wavy hair and glasses watched the news report and decided.

Heroes across the world had heard the message of hope given by a young reporter who had met heroes from all walks of life, a young reporter who had given _them_ hope in humanity again.

**_*DC*_ **

Nyssa arrived shortly after Oliver called, but the reunion between she and Sara (not to mention the explanation for Black Siren's presence) would have to wait as the Dominators released their forces into the city at the same time the mothership dropped the meta-bomb. While Sara and Cisco flew up in the _Waverider_ to intercept the bomb, the remaining heroes and misfits moved to engage the Dominator forces.

Wally West was zipping around the city, snatching both metahumans and normal humans who were caught in the crossfire out of harm's way. The Flash was doing this while also tagging the Dominators with the tech that Professor Stein and his daughter had designed. The remaining fighters drew the Dominators to them on a rooftop. Supergirl, the Atom, and Firestorm flew in circles, taking the Dominators out from a distance with their powers and tech.

Heat Wave and Spartan likewise kept their distance, using their own weapons to take down Dominators who strayed from the group (this being one of the few times Mick was 'let off his leash' and Dig's ammo was lethal). Citizen Steel was openly brawling with the Dominators, and (as Mick would later say) having the time of his life being able to go all out.

Those who had been trained in the ways of the League of Assassins were taking down the Dominators with their agility and weapons. The Dominators were an advanced race, yes; they were stronger than humans, true; but unlike Kryptonians, they were not nearly invulnerable under a yellow sun and they didn't even bother wearing armor, trusting their hide to be tough enough.

The practically-vocal snarling that could be heard from their mental agony as the League-trained warriors used esoteric weapons to take them out of the fight long enough for The Flash to tag them proved otherwise.

Fighting beside Green Arrow was the Black Siren, who unleashed a sonic cry on a group of Dominators as they tried to overwhelm her. They were thrown backwards, and as they lay their stunned, Green Arrow fired a pair of explosive arrows to further disorient them.

While they were down, The Flash tagged them. Black Siren smirked at Green Arrow, who gave a nod of appreciation.

At the hangar where they were coordinating the attack, Overwatch got a bit of a nasty surprise of her own when her system was hacked into by another party. "What!?" she squawked.

"Sorry about that," the voice of an older woman chuckled, not sounding the least bit sorry. "But it might be better to coordinate the planetary defense if we're all hooked in together, don't you think, Overwatch?"

"Who are you?" Felicity wanted to know.

"You can call me Oracle," the other woman said. "I'm coordinating the efforts of another group of heroes working to fight the Dominators in Gotham, Coast City, Metropolis, and London. What's the play?"

"We've got a speedster working on tagging the Dominators with a chip that will debilitate them," Felicity said. "Two of our number are intercepting the meta-bomb, and the rest are taking the fight to the Dominators, keeping them form attacking civilians."

"Understood," Oracle replied. "I'll alert the forces I'm coordinating with to your plan." A moment of silence. "After this, I say we all get together, have a little pow-wow. It's a big world out there, Felicity."

"How did you-"

"Your father's given me a lot of trouble," Oracle told her. "You think I wouldn't keep an eye on his daughter? Right now, I like what I'm seeing. Be careful you don't stray down the path of Brother Eye again, Overwatch. If you do. . . I'll be waiting." *1*

**_Elsewhere_ **

Oracle, unlike her mentor, had believed in having a united front for those of heroic interests for a long time, and tracked down numerous individuals, who had received a comm device within hours of the Dominator ships coming into scanning range, as a 'break in case of emergency' option. Now, Oracle was coordinating a much wider fight against the Dominators while those she had mentally classed as 'the newbies' were facing off with the main Dominator focus in Central City.

In Coast City, the Green Lantern used his Ring to contruct a number of turrets which fired on the Dominators, keeping them from attacking the fleeing civilians. He was joined by a red-hooded archer who introduced himself as Arsenal. Green Lantern welcomed the help.

In Gotham City, the Batman, Nightwing, Catwoman, and the current Robin fought in different burroughs, coordinated by Oracle from her tower.

In Metropolis, the man who would come to be known as Superman, who had been on Oracle's watchlist for a few years, took to the sky, using his speed and strength to disorient and incapacitate the Dominators and evacuate citizens. One was particularly voracious and had the audacity to ask for a comment from him. He gave her a cheeky grin and said, "Sorry, not one for interviews while I'm fighting. Maybe some other time, Ms. Lane." He'd left her sputtering, feeling a bit of satisfaction since she hadn't even recognized him. Wasn't really her fault, though; investigative reporters weren't as sharp as they used to be, and the ones who were got derided and harassed by a public who didn't want to recognize ugly truths. *2*

In London, Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman, couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she fought the Dominators, using all that she had learned from her aunt all those decades ago on Themiscyra to bring the Dominators down with sword, shield, lasso, and bracers while protecting the innocent caught in the crossfire.

In Chicago, this generation's Vixen fought alongside the current incarnations of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

"We're all finished!" The Flash reported to Overwatch not long after Firestorm and the _Waverider_ flight team reported that the meta-bomb had been transmutated into harmless water. Caitlin Snow, waiting on the signal from The Flash, activated the device, and the heroes breathed a sigh of relief as the Dominators fell into shrieking messes. The heroes backed away from the shrieking aliens.

Within an hour of the coordinated attack by the Dominators and the counter-attack by the various heroes of Earth, the Dominators were retreating back to their home among the stars.

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver had shown the political acumen he had begun acquiring since becoming mayor of Star City when speaking to the newly-minted President of the United States on a couple of specific matters. During the awards ceremony, which the world-wide heroes who had fought the Dominators in other cities attended at the request of the President and stood on stage with the rest, the President had issued official pardons for both John Diggle and Roy Harper, allowing them to once more take up their normal lives.

An ecstatic Thea had dragged Roy off once the ceremony was done, and as far as Oliver was concerned, the less he knew about it, the better. Lyla and John were having their own private celebration in a corner of the hangar.

Oliver noted Black Siren was hanging back and was about to go to her when he felt someone behind him. He turned to see Cisco standing there, looking nervous. Oliver raised an eyebrow in silent question. "There's something you need to know," Cisco said quietly.

He had learned his lesson about airing dirty laundry in a public way from the way he had handled finding the recording of future Barry; Oliver had taken him aside after getting back from the Dominator ship and given a relatively ruthless rundown of what that sort of thing could do to a team's morale. That and his own realizations about how he had made things worse when they rescued the Dominator in the past had been what made Cisco keep quiet when he initially realized Felicity hadn't told Oliver about the Black Siren and decided to wait.

Oliver listened as Cisco quietly explained everything, about how Dante's death had made him realize that they should have told Team Arrow about Black Siren, that he had sent the information to Felicity, and that she had said she would handle it on her end. Oliver nodded as Cisco wound down. "Thank you for waiting to tell me this, Cisco," Oliver said, his voice flat but a certain hint of steel beneath the surface, steel that Cisco felt glad wasn't aimed at him. "I'm glad one of you made the choice to try and tell us. I can't say things between our teams are going to be easy, but you did the right thing both in trying to tell us before, and in waiting to tell me about this after the battle." While Oliver knew that the events of the past summer hadn't _technically_ happened for Barry Allen, it had for the rest of them, Oliver included.

He had spent the entire summer integrating himself as mayor and bringing the criminals of Star City to fear the Green Arrow as much as they had once feared the Hood; perhaps he wouldn't have done so if he had known there was a version of Laurel he could have helped in some way trapped in S.T.A.R. Labs.

Oliver headed over to where Black Siren stood, and the two observed the gathered heroes. "Gotta say, it’s weird being with some of these people and not taking them down," Black Siren said. "Some of these people helped fight Zoom and the rest of us who followed him." Oliver nodded to show he understood. "I don't know what Red's told you about Zoom, but I don't think even he knows the whole story," Black Siren told Oliver. "Zoom was a monster, I'm not denying that. But he also saved me. He saved a lot of us. Metahumans were being experimented on by A.R.G.U.S., we weren't even given basic human rights. Being in that cell reminded me of that. I owed my life and my freedom to Hunter Zolomon."

"I can understand that," Oliver said. "I've done the same more than once in the past." He paused. "I don't think Barry, or Red as you call him, knew about everything Zoom did. He only saw the monster. I'd like to hear more about your world if you decide to stay, but it’s your choice."

"Huh, you really are different from Robert," Black Siren mused. Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Robert and Queen Consolidated help develop anti-metahuman weapons and containment gear," she said. "I ended up in Starling City once and we ran into each other. I'll be honest: your Earth-2 father and I hate each other. A lot."

"Any others I should worry about you knowing and having a problem with?" Oliver asked.

"Well, your buddy's wife for one," Black Siren said, nodding to where Diggle and Lyla were. "Other than that, no." She turned to Oliver. "Look, the truth is, I don't _have_ much, if anything, to go back to on Earth-2. Without Zoom, I'm pretty sure those of us who are meta's have been rounded up and put into camps. So, I do want to see if I can find my way here. I'd prefer to do that with people I _somewhat_ know." She gave him a hard look. "But I do this, I'm not gonna march to someone else's drumbeats. I've done enough following."

Oliver couldn't help but smile. "Then you're already like the Laurel from this Earth," he told her. "When I tried to stop her, she told me to go to hell."

"Huh, looks like the little Canary had claws after all," Siren said.

"What am I supposed to call you?" Oliver asked suddenly. "I don't want you thinking we're just trying to replace Laurel but calling you Siren seems cold."

"Dinah," the woman said after a moment. "Call me Dinah."

"That helps," Oliver said. "Our Laurel never wanted to be called that. She and her mother didn't get along."

"Guess that's another difference,' the newly-minted Dinah said. "Mom and I got a long rather good. I lost her not long after I lost my Oliver."

"I'm sorry," Oliver said genuinely. He looked around and Sara met his gaze, gesturing with her head towards where Barry was sitting, looking between them nervously. Oliver nodded; it was time for that discussion. He gestured towards the outside. Sara nodded, and headed over to Barry.

"Mind if I watch?" Dinah asked. "I'm feeling a bit vindictive because of that cell of his."

"Feel free. Just. . . let us do the talking."

"Can I hit him?" Dinah asked with a smirk as she followed Oliver out. He sighed; while Laurel had a bit of a snarky attitude at times, he was sure Dinah took it to a whole new level.

Sara and Barry met them outside, away from prying ears. Barry looked guiltily at the other two team leads, while Dinah simply watched with a smirk. She had to admit, she loved when a goody two-shoes like Red found themselves up shit creek without a paddle. "Initially, Barry, I was going to have Curtis, Kara, _and_ Dr. Stein all examine the cells you use," Oliver said simply. "I've seen them, Barry. Those are short-term cells, at best. Keeping anyone in there long term, without a bed or even facilities for their private needs, is inhumane and barbaric. The only time someone should be kept in that kind of condition is if you're questioning them. As Cisco tells me, you sent all other Earth-2 meta's back to their own universe. So why did you keep Dinah here?"

"Dinah?" Sara asked with a smirk. "Good to have a name other than Siren. No offense, but every time I say that name, I get the idea of someone I'd normally ravage. Not exactly nice considering you look like my sister."

"Aw, is incest too much for you?" Dinah shot back teasingly. "I heard you were a risk-taker."

Oliver ignored the by-play between the two women (mainly because no matter what he would say in this scenario, he'd get lethal glares from green and blue eyes and their owners' were scary as hell femme fatales) and focused on Barry. "I decided not to do that, Barry, because as much as I feel betrayed by you keeping this from me, you weren't the only one." Barry's head snapped up at this, and so did Sara's.

"What do you mean?" Barry asked.

"One of the changes from your Flashpoint, Dante dying, caused Cisco to tell Felicity," Oliver said. "She told him she would _handle it_. While the past summer didn't happen for you, Barry, it did for us; Dante's death, my rage over Laurel's death, and Felicity keeping what Cisco told her a secret from us." Oliver took a moment to collect himself. "I'll be honest, Barry: unless you need help with something major, like all of this was… I don't want to see your face in front of me, or your name on my cell phone. And from now on, tell Cisco to contact me directly. It's about time I took charge of my team again. That includes the dissemination of vital information."

Sara flashed a smile at Barry that would've been considered angelic if not for the flames dancing in her eyes. "Keep something like this from me again, Barry, and we'll see if speedsters can be neutered," she told him sweetly. Barry decided he was going to do the smart thing and keep quiet, take his lumps, and hope nothing more happened. Besides, it sounded like Felicity would be in the doghouse with him, and he honestly couldn't believe she would keep something like that from Oliver, Sara, and Captain Lance.

As the other three left Barry to stew in his thoughts, they found themselves greeted by Nyssa. "Husband," she said with a nod to Oliver, who sighed.

"What's this?" Sara asked with raised eyebrows. "Oliver, is this why you gave Felicity your balls? So that you could have a chance with Nyssa?" Nyssa smirked at her Beloved's sarcastic tongue, sharp as ever, while Dinah laughed at the reference to Sara's earlier snark.

"Ra's," Oliver said simply, and that was enough for Sara to understand.

While Oliver and Dinah headed into the hangar, Sara and Nyssa hung back. "I have missed you, Beloved," Nyssa said, brushing a hand across Sara's cheek. Sara clasped her hand around Nyssa's, smiling. "I sometimes wished I had taken you on your offer to help me escape, but I still felt I needed to prove myself to my father. It was Oliver and Laurel who helped me understand that I was allowing myself to be trapped by my father."

"I'm glad they helped you when I was gone," Sara said. She had forgotten that scent that hung around Nyssa, that scent that was both wild and a sense of home. "I'm guessing it’s been boring since you disbanded the League?"

"Yes," Nyssa said softly. "I did what I could to help Oliver after Laurel was killed, even considered revealing my deception, that the ring I destroyed was a forgery, but most of my time has been spent tracking my sister."

"Talia," Sara said with a nod. She grimaced. "I'm afraid she might have left you because of me, Nyssa." Sara told her confused ex about her two years with the League in the 1950s. "I didn't even connect the little girl to the woman you talked about," she said. "I was focused on finding a way to beat my bloodlust."

"It is alright," Nyssa told her with a smile. "I know the dangers of the Pit." After a moment of silence between the two, she asked, "What of you, Sara? What have you been up to?" Sara explained about what she was now responsible for, and Nyssa couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that this woman, who had been a desperate, broken creature when she found her on that dreaded island, had become a shining example of a true warrior and leader. She had known Sara had it in her, seen glimpses of it when Sara had left Nanda Parbat and worked with Oliver, but Sara had backslid into where she was comfortable after returning to the League. Nyssa had seen it before; those afraid of the independence that came with command often became anxious in the beginning stages.

Suffice to say, by the end of the night, Nyssa had decided to join Sara's crew and become a Legend, helping to maintain the balance in a new way. She had also informed Oliver about the forged ring and where to find the true Ring of the Demon if he so desired to reassemble the League. It had on it an ancient enchantment which would bring the League's forces back to the bearer. The only reason that there had been a civil war within the League when Malcolm wore it was because the one who wore it also had to have a strength of will, and much as Malcolm Merlyn liked to pretend otherwise, the iron willpower that ran through both Thea and Oliver came from their mother.

**_*DC*_ **

The newly-expanded Team Arrow arrived back in Star City late at night. "Thea, why don't you show Dinah where she can bunk until we can get her back into the world," Oliver said, and Thea nodded. Roy and Dig took up positions on either side of Oliver as he gestured for the rest of the team to sit at the table. They did so, some warily, as though expecting him to snap in some fashion. "This latest operation opened my eyes to a few things," Oliver said. "First and foremost, is that this team is divided. There is an old proverb that a house divided upon itself cannot stand. So, it's time to clear up a few things."

Oliver met each of his team's gaze. Some, like Curtis and Rory, simply nodded in acceptance while others, such as Evelyn and Felicity met his gaze in defiance. Rene was watching him but didn't show any reaction; the hothead was learning to take the wait and see approach; probably a result of what had happened while Oliver was trapped on the Dominator ship. Oliver made a mental note to ask Cisco to send a thank you to Kara next time he could.

"First off: did I start out with a list of names? Yes. Felicity?" The blonde perked up. "Which of those names is actually dead at my hand? And what, exactly, did they do?"

Felicity looked over her mental count for a moment; she wasn't sure where Oliver was going with this. "You, specifically? Well, there was the gun dealer, Leo Mueller, who you killed before he could put military-grade weapons on the streets; Justin Claybourne, that big pharma guy who made sure people got sick with a disease that his company created a treatment for, then jacked up the price; Ted Gaynor, who threatened Dig's sister-in-law to make him help them rob armored trucks; that hitman with knives sent after Malcolm, who we _didn't_ know was behind the Undertaking; and I think that's it. Everyone else you killed was either working for the people you took down without killing, or were threats to people you cared about, like that doctor who reverse-engineered Vertigo or the hitman that was after that little boy."

"Thank you, Felicity," Oliver said with a nod, before looking at the recruits. "Every name on the List has done things to hurt this city. You were just given an example of a few of their crimes. Most of them, I let live because they were headed to prison or had lost the very thing that made them powerful: their money, which had been disseminated to their victims."

Oliver looked at each of his recruits, making sure they understood what he was saying. Most were looking thoughtful, but Evelyn still seemed defiant. "Did I kill a lot of people who were between me and my targets? Yes. I did. But a lot more survived. Felicity, what was the last body count I had that first year, before the Undertaking?"

"Twenty-nine," Felicity said. "You killed those three guys Malcolm had guarding where he was keeping you, and then the rest were either thugs guarding targets or the ones I talked about."

"Twenty-nine," Oliver mused. "Out of how many? Hundreds?" Felicity nodded silently. "Evelyn, you were the most vocal about how I handled my takedowns alongside Rory, who has the gift of magical rags on his side." Rory flinched at that; he knew without those rags he wouldn't be as useful to the team. "So, tell me; if you were a solo operator, Evelyn, working with just a bow and arrow against a dozen or more men with automatic weapons, would you take the time make sure your shots were flesh wounds, or would you take the shot that made sure they wouldn't get up, whether that meant they were killed or simply maimed and out of the picture?"

Evelyn flushed and looked down at being targeted so specifically. "I'd take the shot that would put them out of the picture," she said.

"Exactly," Oliver said softly. "I tried to be the kind of person who didn't do that last year. Your parents, Laurel, Felicity, and so many others paid the price because I held back, because I let myself think I could be like The Flash or the Atom. I'm not them, Evelyn, and they wouldn't be able to save Star City. The cancer of corruption is much more imbedded in our city than in Central City; I think only Gotham is worse off. Would you agree?" Evelyn nodded, tears shining in her eyes as she realized what Oliver was saying.

"Now, finally, one last thing: since it was Prometheus who brought this to your attention, who made you all think of me as a serial killer who slaughtered without remorse or reasoned thought: Felicity, how many of Prometheus' victims have been hard-core criminals?"

"None," Felicity said quietly. "They were housewives and civil servants; good, honest people."

"So, very different than the people I took down as The Hood," Oliver clarified, for the recruits' benefit.

Roy, for his part, had been watching this all-in disbelief. These people had been so easily swayed by a maniac? What the hell had happened after he went into hiding the second time? "Uh, can I ask a question?" he directed this to Oliver, who nodded. "You said they all threw a fit about this when they first found out. Were Dig and Felicity there when it happened?"

"Yeah, we were," Dig said. "Why, Roy?"

"Oh, no reason," Roy said sarcastically, even as Thea and Dinah rejoined them. "Just the fact that if these guys were saying Oliver was a psychopathic mass murderer, then the same would be true of the two of you. It's not like you didn't sign onto his crusade knowing what he did." Felicity and Dig both flinched at that; Roy was right. They had known what they were signing on for, and ignored it, but didn't defend themselves, much less Oliver,

"I see why you like him," Dinah told Thea. "He's got a saucy attitude." Thea smirked, though it was a little tense since she knew this wasn't Laurel, no matter how much she looked and sounded like her.

Oliver nodded in thanks to Roy, and shot a stern look at Dinah, who merely raised an eyebrow in challenge. Seeing as he already had one problem to deal with still, Oliver decided not to pick a fight with the metahuman femme fatale, especially since the next problem dealt with her in a way. "Now that that's out of the way… I want to make something abundantly clear. This is not a 'let's vote on our methods' team. This is not a team led by a triumvirate of me, Dig, and Felicity. There is a reason this is called 'Team Arrow'. There is only _one_ leader on this team. I will take advice, but in the end, _my_ decision is what matters. If you cannot work under this restriction, then get on that elevator, and don't come back." Oliver waited for a moment before the recruits realized exactly why he had fallen silent.

"You mean, uh, now?" Curtis asked, giving voice to their thoughts.

"Yes, Curtis, now," Oliver said. "If you can't take following my orders, if you're going to argue with me, call me a serial killer, undermine me at every turn… if you're going to do any of this, _get out now_. I'm not here to hold your hands and treat you like delicate little snowflakes. You wanted to join my team to take on the rot in this city. That means getting your asses kicked, toughening up, and not getting offended at every little thing."

"You are making me so _horny_ right now, you know that?" Dinah asked. Thea and Roy both flushed at her comment, and even the newbies looked embarrassed. Oliver took it in stride; he'd realized that Dinah was like many other damaged women; while some hid away from the world, others used their sexuality like a weapon and shield, striking with it while also keeping themselves safe from the world by throwing others off-balance by being so overt in their sexual comments. He hoped to eventually get under that shield and see the real Dinah, instead of the performance she put on.

Seeing that none of the team had left, Oliver said, "Since you seem intent on staying, hit the training mats. The _OTA_ and I have something we need to discuss with Dinah. Roy, Thea, why don't you supervise their training."

"On it," Roy said. He and Thea led the recruits downstairs, Curtis shooting a look over his shoulder at Dig, Felicity, Oliver, and Dinah. Something told him this wasn't going to be good.

"What's up, man?" Diggle said.

"Felicity knew about both Flashpoint and Black Siren before we did," Oliver said, giving his long-time computer expert a hard look, which she flinched at. "For _months_ before we did. While the summer might not have happened for Barry, it did for us, and Cisco informed Felicity over the summer about Dinah here. She told him she would _handle_ it. Exactly what did you mean by that, Felicity?"

"I meant I would tell you when I thought you were ready," Felicity said.

"So, in other words, you wanted to get back at me for keeping William a secret from you," Oliver replied bitingly. Felicity couldn't help the guilty flush that crept up. "I didn't tell anyone about William personally because I wanted to keep him safe. Do you think I was going to Central City last year all those times for my health or to hang out with Barry? No, I was going to visit my _son_ , the boy I had to send into _hiding_. Should I have told you once I knew _Malcolm_ knew about him? Yes, I should have. But I was taught that a warrior's word is his bond, and that is the _one_ thing that has never changed in all my years fighting for this city."

"You've broken your word to us a few times to save Laurel," Felicity couldn't help but point out bitterly, and her gaze shifted to the Laurel look-alike, who gave her a shark-like grin.

"I gave my word long before I met you or Dig that I would protect the Lances, so when I would _abandon_ some side mission to keep them safe, it was because of that. I thought I'd seen Sara _die_ twice, Felicity. I may never have spoken it, but I _gave_ my word in memory of a fallen friend to keep her family safe. I did keep my word to Dig about helping him find Deadshot in the end." Diggle nodded in agreement. "I also gave you my word that I would stop Ra's, but you threw a fit when I had to make compromises you didn't like to do it. That's why I stopped telling you, Dig, and Roy everything when I worked with Malcolm.

"But you didn't just keep Dinah's existence and your knowledge about Flashpoint, and its effect on Dig, from us. No, you also knew about the conditions she was being kept in. You seemed remarkably fine with Barry's prison, which from what I see is similar to black sites in it has no bed, no sanitation, nothing."

"They'd put anti-meta cuffs on me once a day to lead me to a bathroom," Dinah interjected. "If I didn't put the cuffs on, I didn't get to go to the bathroom. It was the only exercise I got, so I damn well put those cuffs on after the first few times. Until then, well, I had to learn how to clench it off." She grimaced, and even Felicity had to grimace at the imagery _that_ provided.

Oliver turned back to Felicity. "Meanwhile, A.R.G.U.S. keeps Slade Wilson, a formerly super-human terrorist who _killed my mother_ and countless others, in a rather roomy cell with a bed, sanitation supplies, and three decent meals a day. Same with Digger Harkness. Whatever black sites they do have are reserved for far worse enemies then a broken mercenary." Oliver eyed Felicity for a moment. "I asked Cisco when you found out. Thing about geniuses is they remember dates very well, the date in question being a couple of days after our little romp here in the Bunker." Felicity flushed at that.

"I'm guessing that you kept that information from me because you probably figured I'd free her," Oliver continued, "which you were right about, though not for why you think. At most, I would have forced Barry to take her back to Earth-2, since he was keeping her prisoner in an inhumane facility. Barry can somewhat be forgiven since he doesn't know me as well as he might think; but you? I _trusted you_. You didn't keep this from me because you thought I'd let my blind spot get in the way. You did it because you have _always_ been jealous of Laurel, and it seems it doesn't matter that this isn't the Laurel we knew. In addition to keeping vital information from me, the _team leader_ , you've flaunted your defiance of how I run _my_ team, and I have no doubt you'll continue to do so. Which really only leaves me with one choice: Leave, Felicity."

"What?" Felicity squawked.

Oliver looked her square in the eye. "This team is about giving second chances to those who need them. You took that second chance, and you squandered it. I don't believe in third chances. Get out and be aware that A.R.G.U.S. will be keeping track of you. If they feel you'll release our identities, you will be taken into custody, same as your father's been since he not only used Roy last year but figured out who _I_ was because of how you acted around me." Felicity's winced at that.

Diggle raised his eyebrows at this. He didn't particularly like what Oliver was doing, but he saw the reasoning. He had realized himself that things were getting out of focus, even tried to point out to Felicity how badly she was handling things, but she hadn't wanted to hear it. He also had to admit, it hurt that someone he considered one of his closest friends had kept something like Flashpoint from him. Barry, it somewhat made sense with, since they weren't exactly bosom buddies, but Felicity? The team was about trust, and Oliver had just given some exceptionally good reasons why he couldn't trust Felicity anymore; Dig had an idea that those were just the most prevalent reasons, and there were plenty Oliver hadn't mentioned.

Felicity left the Bunker quietly, though Oliver doubted it was the last he would hear from her. The real question was, when the next time came, would it be as an enemy?

**_*DC*_ **

Roy and Thea were overseeing the recruits training, Roy smirking as Rene slapped a bowl of water to learn patience like he had had to do once while Thea showed Evelyn some moves she had picked up from Sara and E-1 Laurel about how to use their petite size and slighter frames to their advantage. Rory and Curtis were practicing their stick-fighting, while Rene was muttering about throwing the water in Roy's face if he didn't stop smirking, and Evelyn struggling with the guilt she was beginning to feel about turning to Prometheus so easily (and wondering if she should reveal what she knew) when Oliver entered with Dig and Dinah in tow.

"Where's Felicity?" Curtis asked.

"Off the team," Oliver said shortly. "This team is about second chances, Curtis, and she squandered hers by keeping vital information from us about Dinah here, about Flashpoint… imagine if that had continued, and she kept something big from all of us about Prometheus because she thought we 'weren't ready for it'. I can't have someone like that on my team."

Evelyn took a deep breath. "Then I need to tell you something," she said, and flinched slightly as everyone turned her attention to her. "On the train… Prometheus saw I was struggling. He approached me a few days later. I-I've been working for him because I thought I could trust him more."

"Evie?" Rene asked in disbelief. Rory was likewise stunned. Thea, on the other hand, had backed away slightly, looking at the younger woman in disgust. Had Evelyn helped drive Quentin to the bottle so Prometheus could try and play them? Roy had moved slightly closer to the weapons rack, just in case. Curtis was gaping at the girl, who had been Oliver's most stalwart defender when they first joined Team Arrow. Diggle was frowning at the girl.

Oliver, for his part, was watching her silently, no expression on his face. Dinah was watching the entire thing, wondering what this version of Oliver would do, seeing as he'd so far shown he was different from his father (including the fact he tossed the annoying IT girl to the side, who's doppelganger had been Robert's lover on her Earth). Finally, he asked, "What made you trust him? Obviously, the fact we both kill wouldn't be what drove you to decide to join him."

"He showed me who he was," Evelyn said. "It's your district attorney."

Oliver's eyes widened in shock at that, and Thea's arms had dropped to her side. "Adrian?" Oliver muttered. "Are you sure, Evelyn?"

"I am," she said. "I-I'm not proud of it, but finding out you were the Hood… my father used to say this city only got worse when the Hood showed up, that before then we didn't need to worry about earthquake machines, super-soldiers, crazy ninjas with viruses, people like Damien Darhk… all of it came flooding back. Chase used that."

Oliver closed his eyes, nodding. "I won't say everything I did as the Hood was good," he said. "I stand by my actions, yes, but I'm not going to pretend I was a good guy, Evelyn. In my experience, it takes a monster to hunt other monsters. That's what I am. But the Undertaking was a plan over five years in the making. Malcolm Merlyn planned to destroy the Glades long before I ever went to Lian Yu, long before the Hood ever came to be. I only became the Hood because someone found me, gave me a purpose, told me to channel my darkness, give the monster an identity so I could return to being Oliver Queen." He stepped forward and placed a hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "That is what this team is about," he told her. "We all have something that drives us, something that feeds into our darker selves, and we need somewhere to channel that. That is what I meant when I say this team is about second chances. As far as I'm concerned, you've only had your first chance."

Evelyn looked at him in surprise. "You're not throwing me off the team?" She asked.

"You wouldn't be the first person on any iteration of this team to have a moment like this, Evelyn," Oliver told her. "Every one of us veterans have had it. That is why I sent Felicity away. She has held back vital information more than once and walked away more than once. I ignored it for far longer than I should have. We all have major mistakes we've made, and those mistakes pushed us to become better versions of ourselves and channel the darkness into fighting the monsters that plague this city."

Roy whistled. "Wow, you got better at these inspirational speeches since I've been away," he said.

"Meaning?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger man.

"Meaning it used to be you barking our names in increasingly annoyed tones," Roy said cheerfully.

"Roy," Oliver barked, annoyed.

"Like that," Roy added with a smirk, causing Thea to snicker. She remembered how Oliver had taken the news of Roy's apparent death (she'd discovered he didn't know about it after reconnecting with Roy until _after_ the fact). She was glad he was back, not just for her sake, but for Ollie's as well. "Anyways, props on moving out of your comfort zone."

"Get in the ring," Oliver said, jerking his head. "I'll show you how expanded my _comfort zone_ is."

"Oh, I'm in trouble," Roy said dryly, and headed for the ring with Oliver. Dinah noted the smiling faces and placed a hand on Evelyn's arm, giving the girl a smile. She knew herself how easy it was to fall to those who may not seem to be the best people but offered you something far better.

After all, she knew Zoom was a monster: but he had offered her the sweetest course of all: revenge on Amanda Waller and her right-hand bitch, Lyla Michaels.

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver looked out at the reporters who were waiting for his big announcement. Thea had already gone to see Quentin, to tell him about Dinah and how things had come to be. Quentin had taken it rather well; he'd only had a panic attack, according to Thea, which was better than the expected heart attack, which is what they had expected due to his weakened heart. It was one of the reasons the facility's medical personnel were standing by when Thea spoke to him, just in case.

"Thank you for coming," Oliver said. "This past week, we discovered that we are not alone in the universe, and that unfortunately, some of our fellow sentients aren't all that friendly. But we also discovered that there are far more of those who will take up arms to defend us than just the Green Arrow and The Flash. Cities across the world reported vigilantes and heroes of all kinds coming out of the woodwork to defend the Earth from the Dominators. The President of the United States has pardoned two of these people, both of them being residents of our own city.

"Roy Harper is officially pardoned for his previous actions as The Arrow for his actions in defending the people of Coast City alongside the hero known as Green Lantern. Mr. Harper is further pardoned for faking his own death. I have here an affidavit from an unidentified government agent, swearing that Mr. Harper was being framed by the very same organization whose war spilled onto our streets last year. I am referring to the black-clad warriors who used swords, bows, and other such weaponry.

"John Diggle is officially pardoned for supposed war crimes and has sworn out an affidavit allowing the U.S. Military to begin investigating his superior officer. Mr. Diggle is a man I have known for many years, and I can assure the people of Star City that he is the last person who would commit a war crime." Oliver observed the reporters for a moment. So far, they were hanging on every word.

"Finally, there was one other person who fought in Central City's part of the Dominator Battle, someone who I believed was dead. It appears that former ADA Dinah Laurel Lance is alive, but not without consequences. From what has been pieced together, H.I.V.E. used their advancements in science, technology, and Damien Darhk's interest in the esoteric to create a simulacrum to replace her in the morgue. She was resuscitated and experimented on by remnants of H.I.V.E. This has resulted in the woman who now calls herself Dinah having vastly different memories, and a metahuman cry, courtesy of H.I.V.E.'s experimentations. Ms. Lance will not be returning to the District Attorney's office as a result."

One reporter was brave enough to ask in the silence that followed, "Will she be resuming her role as Black Canary?"

"Yes, just without the mask," Dinah said from the doorway, where she was leaning casually against the frame. Oliver gave her a nod as the reporters shouted for comments. "One of the few things that hasn't changed is that I want to help people. But I ask for patience; for me, this city is vastly different from what my memories show, and I need time to acclimate." She gave a small smile to the cameras, and then left Oliver to field any further questions. Oliver was certain she did that just to mess with him.

Several days passed, and in the midst of this Adrian Chase, under the guise of Prometheus, launched his latest assault, leading Oliver as Green Arrow to a confrontation at an office building that Justin Claybourne had been in when The Hood had confronted him a second time. Finding himself on the roof, Green Arrow saw Prometheus standing at the other end of the roof, by the pool where Claybourne (his father, according to Curtis, who'd gotten a text from Felicity that her boyfriend had sent before apparently vanishing). Green Arrow examined the other man for a moment before reaching up and pulling down his hood and mask. "Let's get rid of the masks, Adrian," he said.

Prometheus tilted his head before removing his own cowl and mask to reveal the smirking face of Adrian Chase. "So, Evelyn spilled the beans," he said with a shrug. "Can't say I'm surprised. She doesn't strike me as the loyal type. Might want to vet your recruits more carefully, Oliver."

"What is this about, Adrian?" Oliver asked. "Claybourne? A man who was willing to let hundreds die to make a profit? You equate a man like that to the civilians and cops you've killed?"

"Says the man who's own father planned to wipe out thousands along with Malcolm Merlyn," Adrian scoffed. "Our fathers were both monsters, Oliver, and so are we. And I'm going to prove that to you."

Oliver shook his head. "I already know," he told the other man, shocking Adrian. "Like I told Evelyn, I don't pretend to be a good man. I know I'm a monster, because it takes one to hunt others. But don't pretend you're on some grand crusade to save this city's soul, Adrian. You're out for one thing only: vengeance." Oliver pulled his hood and mask back up. "But I'm not playing your game."

Adrian moved forward, and that was his undoing. A sonic cry caught him off-guard and sent him flying through the air. Green Arrow took advantage of this and a trio of arrows at Adrian, piercing his body before he landed in the pool, much in the same manner as he his father did. He slowly swam to the edge, rolling up onto solid ground as Green Arrow and Black Siren came to stand over him, side-by-side. "Y-You think you've w-w-won?" He asked, blood dribbling from his lips even as he smiled at them. "No, Oli-Oliver. . . I was j-just the student. _Our_ m-m-master has a bone to pick w-w-with you, too. And w-when she gets here. . ."

Adrian sagged onto the ground, blood pooling beneath him. Black Siren turned to look at Oliver in confusion. "Who was he talking about?" She asked.

"It appears an old teacher of mine is unhappy with what I've done," Green Arrow said. He activated his comms. "Mr. Terrific, I need you to find someone. A woman named Talia. She would've been in Russia five years ago."

"On it, Green Arrow," Curtis said. "Can I ask why?"

"Prometheus was just a pawn," Green Arrow replied. "His master is Talia." He gave her a look. "I told everyone to stay out of this."

"You're welcome, _Mayor Handsome_ ," Black Siren said. "Besides, I told you I'll work _with_ you, not _for_ you. I understand that might be a hard concept to understand, but there is a difference. I worked _for_ Zoom, but that was because I knew if I betrayed him, not that I would have, he would put his hand through my heart. Seeing as I doubt that you're gonna kill me for saving your leather-clad ass, I'll take my chances on working _with_. But I do my own thing, Robin Hood."

"I'm not Robin Hood," Green Arrow grumbled.

"You came from a wealthy family, you went through hell, you came back and used archery skills to help the disenfranchised," Black Siren listed off. "Oh, and you dress in green. Yeah. You're not Robin Hood at all, unless the story is different on this Earth."

Green Arrow mumbled something indistinct as they headed for the rooftop exit.

"Oh, by the way," Black Siren said as they left the roof, "found a guy dressed like Prometheus with a sword duct taped to his hand and gagged. Cut him loose and told him to get out."

"Good work," Green Arrow replied.

"I've been thinking," Black Siren said. "The Black Canary has a specific legacy. It should remain untarnished. We both know I'll slip at times; that's the curse of having a sonic cry. Some people are built weaker than others. I'm keeping the name Black Siren."

Green Arrow was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Thank you."

**_*DC*_ **

The Bunker was abuzz with activity when Quentin Lance, recently discharged from his rehab program and ready to report back to duty as both Deputy Mayor and as an auxiliary member of Team Arrow (he called it that just to see Oliver's expression go sour since he had to get his kicks _somehow_ ). John Diggle was taking inventory on a new supply shipment (courtesy of A.R.G.U.S. no doubt); Curtis Holt had reorganized the 'computer command' nerve of the Bunker to his specifications, with one half dedicated to scanning for the mysterious Talia while the rest of the system scanned local frequencies and the team was deployed as needed to find the criminals.

With Prometheus dead, things were picking up in the city; though the Queen administration had taken a beating in the media until they revealed their new gun control plan, inspired by a recent rash of violence.

Oliver had considered creating a rather vague bill but realized that he wouldn't win any hearts and minds if he wussed out on such an important piece of legislation, _especially_ after the recent violence. The bill required a full background check for any _new_ firearm purchases, regardless of if they were a handgun, rifle, shotgun, etc. The background check would include ensuring they were psychologically-well and if there was any trauma in their past that could become a potential stressor. Oliver had to admit that, if they hadn't had to deal with that shooter, along with the ongoing threat of Vigilante, they probably wouldn't have been able to pass the bill.

Thea had told this all to Quentin, as well as informing him about the divide that happened in the team as a result. Rene had left the team over Oliver's decision, and headed for Hub City to start over somewhere away from all the 'hippy-liberal happy-love bullshit'.

Roy was sparring with Rory, helping him learn how to fight without the rags and giving him pointers on where he was relying too heavily on the mystical side of things. "There might come a time when you can't trust your rags to save you," Roy told the younger man. "Imagine if you went up against Damien Darhk or someone like him. You'd need an edge. From what I heard, Darhk lost his edge in physical combat when he started relying on magic."

Rory nodded at the criticism and refocused on the sparring session with a bit more determination. He appreciated Roy taking the time to tell him all of this. Oliver was good at many things, but explaining wasn't one of them, and the one who normally would make with the explanations (Felicity) had a tendency to ramble and you would forget _what_ the focus of the conversation was at times… especially when the original three members of the team started having their silent convo's. _Not that that's happening anymore,_ Rory reminded himself.

Last they had heard, Felicity and Detective Malone had broken up because Felicity missed vigilantism and was trying to find another way in and Billy refused to entertain the idea; like most cops, he had accepted the help of the Green Arrow and his team out of necessity, and had accepted Felicity being on the team because she was 'tech support'.

Curtis had said something in one of his rambling moments about Felicity being very offended at being referred to as such, but Rory couldn't help but wonder why since it was true. Tech support was a broad definition, and all of what Felicity did for the team had fit under that umbrella.

Thea was likewise sparring with Evelyn in another part of the main room but stopped when she saw Quentin. "Hey," she said brightly, moving over and giving the older man a hug. "It's so good to see you, Quentin," Thea told him, meaning every word of it.

"Thanks, Thea," Quentin said. "Looks like things have definitely changed around here. Where's Oliver?"

"Down in the main training room, with Dinah," Roy said as he came up to the man, holding out a hand for him to shake. As they did so, Quentin looking guilty, Roy said, "Look, no hard feelings. Grief makes us do crazy things, and I was as much fueled by it when I made the choice I did as you were."

"That's big of you, Harper, but I coulda told myself that Sara would be ashamed of what I was doing," Quentin told him. "Glad to see you back with the team. I see you're following in Oliver's footsteps and being the veteran instructor."

"Yeah, but he's more fun than Ollie," Thea smirked. "For one, he tells jokes to lighten the mood."

"And he doesn't leave us more bruised than necessary," added Evelyn.

Roy shrugged. "Oliver's method works when you need to get whipped into shape, but once you're there, you don't need to work as hard. Not much point in training to fight if you're too bruised to do it when the time comes."

"Tell that to Oliver," Curtis said sourly.

"Do I look suicidal to you?" Roy quipped.

Quentin chuckled and left the group behind to go downstairs, mentally preparing himself. As he entered the training room, he saw Oliver and the woman who looked like Laurel (Dinah, he reminded himself) training. To Quentin, it looked like a deadly dance the two were performing, moving quick and agile as they traded blows. It appeared that this version of Laurel was more than capable of matching Oliver even without the meta cry that he was told she had.

Oliver noted Quentin's presence and signaled Dinah to end the bout. The two turned, and Dinah's expression had a brief moment of vulnerability at seeing Quentin before she covered it up. "Quentin," Oliver greeted, moving forward, and shaking the older man's hand. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am," Quentin said, before his gaze shifted to Dinah. "So… this is the Earth-2 Laurel that Thea was telling me about?"

"Dinah," the woman in question corrected. "I haven't been Laurel Lance since I was a guest of A.R.G.U.S. on my Earth."

"Fair enough," Quentin said.

"I'll give you two a moment," Oliver said quietly, and left the training room.

For a moment, Quentin and Dinah simply stared at one another. "I-I don't know what kind of person I was on your Earth," Quentin finally said, "but I'd like to get the chance to know you. Way I see it, you are what Laurel might've become if things were different."

"I lost the Quentin Lance of my Earth during the Undertaking," Dinah said. "We were close. I-I'd like to think he would want us to be there for one another. You lost a daughter, and I lost a father. Maybe we can't replace them, but…"

"But maybe we can fill the hole," Quentin said. Dinah nodded.

**_*DC*_ **

Detective Billy Malone grimaced as he pulled back the tarp covering the mess of muscle and organs that had once been a human being. There was no way to get a positive ID unless the person's DNA was in the system, because the skin had been shredded and the bones vaporized. They couldn't even be sure if this was a man or a woman thanks to how badly the body had been torn before being found. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and replaced the tarp before looking at the M.E. "Do we know what happened?" he asked.

"From what our instruments tell us, this poor soul was shattered on a cellular level," the medical examiner replied, "as if something resonated at the frequency of the victim's skin and bones. I hope that the victim was already dead when either happened, because if not. . . they would have suffered tremendously."

"Frequency resonance. . . like a sonic wave?" Malone asked, his stomach clenching as he remembered one of his last arguments with Felicity Smoak before they broke up. She had insisted that the Laurel Lance now living in Star City was a fake, a transplant from an alternate Earth that had good reason to hate her (though she had kept quiet about _why_ that was, even when he pressed). She had said this transplanted Laurel Lance was a psychopath and mass murderer who had been locked away somewhere safe until the Green Arrow had released the Black Siren (the name that the Laurel Lance that now served as a guardian to the city alongside Green Arrow called herself by) in exchange for her help with the Dominators.

"Exactly," the M.E. said, looking surprised. A machine dinged. "Ah, that'll be the DNA result," he said. "Looks like we have a match." The M.E. went over and checked on the results. "Oh, my," the man said.

"What?" Malone asked.

"The result is coming back as Felicity Smoak," the M.E. replied, giving the detective a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Detective. I know you were close once."

Billy looked at the container that held all that remained of the woman who he had once been dating, the woman who had warned him about the true nature of this Black Siren and her origins. His blood began to boil, and he made a decision that would have numerous ramifications on the city and its guardians.

_***DC*** _

Green Arrow was on patrol when Arsenal contacted him on their private channel. "Arrow, we've got trouble," Arsenal told him. "A body's been found with signs of being ripped apart by a sonic cry. People are pointing fingers at Dinah, including the newbies."

"Why?" Green Arrow asked even as he changed directions, heading for Dinah's apartment. He had a feeling no one was warning her.

"The victim's Felicity," Arsenal said. "The detective in charge is Malone. He's not going to think straight. Kinda like how Lance acted when Sara was killed."

"Understood," Green Arrow replied, and the comm went silent. Green Arrow knew that Arsenal was more intelligent than he let on, and this was one of those times it showed. Like Green Arrow, Arsenal was well aware of the fact that while Dinah was ruthless, skilled, and not afraid to dirty her hands in order to take a target down, she was _not_ stupid and wouldn't just kill Felicity out of the blue. For now, though, the priority was getting her out of sight and then figuring out what the hell was happening.

Green Arrow arrived at the apartment and found Dinah practicing her katas in her living room. She turned, dropping into a fighting stance, as the window opened, but relaxed fractionally. "Hey," she said with a lazy smirk. "Come by for a bit of side action?"

"Now's not the time, Dinah," Green Arrow said. "We need to get you out of here before the SCPD arrive."

"Why?" Dinah asked, looking alarmed.

"Felicity Smoak is dead, killed by sonic waves," Green Arrow replied. "I know you wouldn't do this, not so sloppily, anyways," he added, and Dinah allowed a small smirk at that. "But the SCPD and Detective Malone won't differentiate. We need to get to ground and figure out the next move." Dinah nodded, grabbing her jacket off the armchair, and joining Green Arrow. The two left via the window and ascended to the opposite roof even as the door was broken open and SCPD's ESU squad entered, prepared for combat. . . accompanied by The Flash, who looked around, and shook his head with a sigh.

Green Arrow and Black Siren (she had slipped easily into her combat persona once she learned about the situation) raced across the rooftops. "Where we goin', Locksley?" she asked cheekily. "The Bunker's that way." She gestured in the general direction of the Bunker.

"Which is filled with people who are certain you're the one who killed Felicity and won't give you the chance to prove yourself," Green Arrow replied with a sigh. "That means we need to operate on the down-low. Luckily, I _do_ have a few extra hidey-holes in the city. A good fallback position is a must in this life." Black Siren nodded, and the two were silent as they journeyed to the safehouse, where Oliver had a change of clothes for every person on the team if need be. The two changed into civilian clothes, and Dinah looked over at the man who had given her a chance. He met her gaze. "I have to ask, but only because otherwise people will think I'm playing favorites," he told her. "Did you kill Felicity Smoak?"

"Yes," she said, to his shock and horror. "Earth-2's Felicity Smoak," she clarified, and he breathed a little easier, though he wondered how _that_ had come about. "This one was annoying, and I won't claim to be sad the bitch who let me rot in that cell along with Red's little team is dead, but I am not about to give up my chance at a new life for a vendetta. If I wanted, I'd just expose Red's little facility to the U.N. in this world since they're not as _punitive_ to metas on this Earth as on mine. That'd take care of Red and the tech girl." Oliver nodded at this.

"Okay, I had to ask," he said. "Thank you for being honest with me, Dinah." A small alert on his wrist bleated. "Company's coming," he said, and triggered the defenses for this facility. As the form of The Flash sped in, it was hit in _both_ legs by arrows, which entered behind the kneecaps and broke through the bone. The Flash screamed in agony as he collapsed; Oliver had clocked the speed of The Flash during his search patterns and found the perfect targeting algorithm for his automatic defenses. While The Flash _was_ a good man, he was also naive and occasionally arrogant. That meant that Oliver needed to be prepared for _any_ eventuality. Oliver removed the arrows (eliciting another grunt from the speedster) and seized the metahuman cuffs he had been carrying. Using them to secure The Flash, he ripped the cowl away to expose Barry's face and looked to Dinah. "Get the bandages; we don't want him bleeding out."

"Barry! Barry, can you hear me!" Oliver heard the tinny voice of Cisco shouting from the comm system embedded in Barry's cowl, and pulled it out. "Barry!"

"I'm afraid Barry can't answer right now, Cisco," Oliver said coolly. "He's a bit. . . indisposed. He'll be fine once I take the meta cuffs off of him."

"Oliver, what are you doing?" Cisco said.

"Protecting one of my team," Oliver said. "Tell me, Cisco, did you even run a search for any crimes with sonic waves being used before Barry ran off to Star City, or did you go with the flow?"

"I…" Cisco began before trailing off guiltily.

"Run the search," Oliver told him. "Come here beforehand and Barry receives an arrow through the stomach. I'm done letting your team run roughshod over me and mine, _Vibe_." Oliver made the codename sound like a curse. "Contact me directly when you've done the search. And the warning goes for the younger West male as well, Cisco. I'm prepared for speedsters."

"R-right, Oliver," Cisco said before the comm went dead.

Dinah watched Oliver as he patched the speedster up. Then he stood. "Alright," he said. "I think it’s time we talk about Earth-2 and _everything_ about how metas are treated over there." Oliver looked down at the unconscious speedster. "I'll need ammo for this discussion."

Dinah nodded, and began telling Oliver everything about her world.

**_*DC*_ **

Oliver watched as the man he had once been proud to call his friend stirred. "Guess the speed-healing really helps you wake faster," Oliver said coolly, and Barry jerked at the sound of his voice, finding himself trapped by metahuman cuffs. "I would apologize for the welcome and current accommodations, but frankly, I warned you about coming to my city without talking to me, Barry. I told you to have Cisco contact me on these matters. You have only yourself to blame."

"Oliver, man, I know you want to believe in her because she looks like Laurel, but she's not," Barry said. "She killed Felicity."

"Did she?" Oliver asked, mocking surprise. "Here I thought that I had taught you to consider all avenues during our training sessions, Barry. It looks like I was mistaken. Or perhaps, the same arrogance that made you change history has also clouded your judgment on our lessons."

"No, I remember the lessons," Barry said. "But I don't see what they have to do with this."

"Everything," Oliver said. "When I told you to check things out, I wasn't talking only of an area of battle, Barry. I was talking about a situation or, in your case, the full impact of what it means to have access to different worlds. I'm going to ask you a question Barry, and you are going to answer me: why did you send all the other Earth-2 metas back to that Earth but keep Dinah?"

"Harry, the Wells of that Earth, said they could handle it," Barry said. "As for Black Siren. . . that's another change, Oliver, because of Flashpoint. I don't _know_ why we did because in the timeline I remember, she was sent back with the rest. You'd have to ask Cisco or someone why I did that."

"I will," Oliver said. "Now, another question: do you even know what it’s like on Earth-2 for metas?"

"I figured it's the same as here, though Central City seemed to have more problems thanks to Zoom," Barry said with a shrug.

A cold laugh interrupted them. Barry looked over and saw Black Siren watching them, giving him what could only be described as the evil eye. "Wow, Red, here I thought you were supposed to be intelligent," she said. "Seems like the guy everyone thinks is just a brute is smarter than your entire team. He actually asked me about Earth-2 and why I followed Zoom."

"I'm disappointed, Barry," Oliver said. "You made your decisions based on emotion and extraordinarily little knowledge. Did it ever occur to you to ask why Earth-2 metas seemed to join Zoom to the point they were an _army_? Why the Wells of that Earth would insist that they could 'handle it'? Dinah, why don't you tell Barry what happened when you were a prisoner of A.R.G.U.S. on that world, for the simple crime of having the metahuman gene." Barry gave a startled look at this and watched as Dinah walked up to him.

"Listen carefully, Red, cuz I'm not gonna say this more than once," she told him. "I was captured while dealing with some rapists. When I woke up, I was imprisoned in an A.R.G.U.S. facility with the same kind of cells that you kept me in. I was told I had no rights, that the world didn't recognize metahumans as people. We were just things to be experimented on. One of the first edicts from the White House was that there be no threat of a burgeoning meta population. I had my ovaries removed, as did every other woman." Barry paled at hearing this. "Men were made infertile through chemical treatments. We were cut open, our abilities tested in controlled environments, and we were nothing more than the playthings of sick scientists. Then Zoom came. He broke us out of those cages, gave us a chance to fight back, to live free of being slaves to humans. I'm not saying Zoom wasn't a monster, Red, he was. But he was the _only one_ who fought for us. When you killed him and sent the others back to Earth-2, you committed a war crime. You handed hundreds of victims back to their oppressors, and you did so with a smile on your face because you were 'being a hero'."

Dinah took a shuddering breath and stepped away, clearly unable to go on without doing something drastic. Oliver took her place again. "Not only did you not consider all the factors in regard to metas on Earth-2," he told the younger man, "but you didn't consider all the factors in this situation. You assumed everyone else is: Felicity was killed by a sonic wave, so it _must_ be Black Siren who did it. But we already know that someone having the same power as another is possible just on this Earth, don't we, Barry? Your two Weather Wizards, for example." Barry flushed at this. "Cisco should be getting back to us soon about whether there have been any cases _prior_ to now where a victim was killed or injured by sonic waves. For now, rest up and think on this, hmm?" Oliver left Barry to his clouded thoughts.

Elsewhere in the timeline, Savitar was gaining some new memories and laughing in glee at the growing disgust and hatred within Barry Allen that was aimed not at some external force, but inward, at his own foolishness and arrogance. Such thoughts would only feed the growing beast that would become Savitar once his mission was complete and Iris West lay dead in the arms of The Flash.

_***DC*** _

When Oliver's encrypted phone, connected to the one at S.T.A.R. Labs (he had gotten in and out of the Bunker without people seeing him) rang, Oliver answered it immediately. "Cisco," he said. "What have you got."

"You were right," Cisco said, subdued. "There's reports of people who were injured or killed going back to the time the accelerator exploded, and their injuries are consistent with what we know a sonic scream can produce. The first incident was when a group of thugs were killed in a warehouse where an undercover cop was killed and another tortured. The cop that was tortured vanished after being discharged, but a woman matching her description has been sighted across the country, and incidents like the one in the warehouse follow her."

"What've we got on this undercover cop?" Oliver asked, staring hard at Barry, who looked down at the realization he had let his arrogance and pride cloud his judgment again.

"Her undercover identity is Tina Boland," Cisco said. "Maybe Mayor Queen can call Captain Singh and get more information on her."

"I'll do that," Oliver said. "Once Barry heals up, he'll be going back to Central City. Hopefully, your _team_ has learned its lesson about interfering in my city." Oliver shut off the phone before Cisco could reply and undid the metahuman cuffs. "You'll heal quicker now," Oliver said. "But I want you to remember this moment, Barry. I want you to remember that for all your powers, it was a normal human with esoteric weapons and tactical thinking who beat you." Oliver turned to Dinah. "I'll contact CCPD and get the information on Boland, then hold a press conference. Once that's done, return to the Bunker. I'll meet you there." He looked at Barry, giving him a hard expression. "If I don't find her there, Barry, I'll be paying a visit to Central City." He left the safehouse.

"Gotta say, Red, you do a good job of mucking things up," Dinah told the speedster, who simply glared at her. "Oh, scary," she snarked. "But seriously, Red, is it me you hate? Or is it you, because your selfishness opened the door for Zoom and he killed your father?" Dinah went over to the television and turned on the local news, waiting for Oliver to call his press conference (knowing he would make it live) and left Barry to stew in his thoughts.

_***DC*** _

Oliver smiled at the reporters who had assembled (among them Susan Williams). "Good morning," he told them. "Late last night, police forces, under orders from Detective William Malone, raided the home of former Assistant District Attorney Dinah Laurel Lance, believing her to be responsible for the brutal murder of Felicity Smoak. Malone has since been put on leave, as he was personally invested in this case due to having dated Ms. Smoak in the past. I can now confirm that these actions were premature, and assumptions were made.

"I received word from a member of the team that supports Central City's Flash that the death of Felicity Smoak fit the pattern of several crimes that have occurred since the particle accelerator exploded three years ago," Oliver said. "These crimes follow the movements of a former CCPD undercover detective who was known to the criminals who killed her partner as Tina Boland. Her real name is Dinah Drake, and she remains at large and is wanted for questioning in several dozen murders, some of which have been proven to be hits-for-hire." Oliver pressed a button, and an image of Dinah Drake popped up on the screen, which the reporters took note of. "Dinah Drake is a decorated officer and former Marine, and she is to be considered armed, dangerous, and volatile. Do not approach Ms. Drake for any reason. Contact the SCPD if you see her but do so quietly."

Oliver ended the conference, ignoring calls for questions, and entered his office. He paused only for a moment before greeting his visitor. "Hello, Talia."

_***DC*** _

At the bunker, the majority of the team (only Roy, Thea, and Quentin were absent) had watched the news conference with shock and more than a bit of shame.

"Well, guess that means I can stop hiding in the shadows," a woman's sarcastic voice said, causing the team to whirl around to confront the intruder, only for most of them to be caught in a blast of sonic energy that erupted from the intruder as she screamed. The bulk were thrown over the rails of the nerve center, the sounds of bones breaking accompanied by the smash of glass and the sparks of electricity as the team impacted the server farms and the display cases. One unlucky member of the team, John Diggle, was impaled on shattered glass from the display holding his own suit.

Dinah Drake took a degree of pleasure in the sight of the man bleeding out (they didn't call her the Red Canary for nothing) before moving on to her next target. Her orders had been simple: wipe out every member of Team Arrow she could and destroy their headquarters, cutting off the resources Oliver Queen had at his disposal. Her employer, Talia al Ghul, would keep Oliver busy at City Hall. The other members of Team Arrow were nice objectives, but the one Talia genuinely wanted her to kill was Evelyn Sharp, the traitor, and Dinah had no qualms in doing that. The cop she had been might've balked at it, but she was long since passed being the cop she had been.

Evelyn struggled to her feet, holding her broken arm close to her body, only to be blasted back again by a wave of sonic energy, this wave focused on her. She collapsed to the ground, curling in on herself as Drake kept up her assault. Then salvation came as _another_ sonic cry ripped through the air, catching Dinah Drake, and throwing her across the open space. Drake stood shakily and turned to face the lithe figure of Dinah Laurel Lance from Earth-2, the Black Siren, whose predatory walk had the quality of a deadly grace to it.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Black Siren said mockingly, "but there's only _one_ queen of the sonic scream, and you ain't her."

"We'll see about that, precious," sneered the Red Canary as she squared off against this prissy bitch. She couldn't _wait_ to split this skank's skin open like she had that Smoak bitch's.

The two metas circled one another even as Ragman, moving quietly, pulled Evelyn away from danger and Curtis sent out an S.O.S. with his tablet to Thea, Roy, and Oliver, explaining the situation. "So, you're the infamous Dinah Laurel Lance," Red Canary said. "Gotta say, not all that impressed. But then, I guess so long as your blonde and cut a lithe figure, people'll ignore the important areas."

"You mean like personality? Wit? Brains?" Black Siren replied with a smirk. "Clearly, I got those in spades, too, sweetie. Now, let's dance." The two began fighting, Black Siren depending on her training from Tommy Merlyn while Red Canary used the techniques taught to her by Talia al Ghul. "At least your form's good," Black Siren said as she dodged a punch, "but in the end, there's a lot more that counts." She gave a quick, concentrated sonic _whistle_ which struck Red Canary in the side, disrupting her attack, and Black Siren delivered a roundhouse kick to the distracted woman's jaw. "Tactics, for one," Black Siren said, using the rising Red Canary as a launching pad to grab a low hanging length of rebar that had come loose during Red Canary's earlier attack, one end blunt and the other jagged. She whirled and swung the length of rebar like a staff, taking out Red Canary's footing. "Surroundings, for another."

Red Canary wasn't to be taken down so easily, though, and she delivered a quick sonic attack of her own, throwing Black Siren away from her and causing her to drop the rebar. Red Canary snatched it up and moved in on Black Siren as the other woman stood and stabbed at the Black Siren's exposed stomach with the sharpened edge of the rebar staff. Black Siren dodged, but the rebar still cut into her side briefly before dislodging, leaving a hefty, bleeding gash in her side. Red Canary grinned fiercely at the sight of her opponent bleeding. Black Siren delivered a forward kick to her opponent's midsection, but was Red Canary danced away and then unleashed her sonic screech, which blasted Black Siren backwards onto a worktable where Curtis had been working on some new arrows for Oliver to use.

Black Siren winced as one of the arrowheads jabbed painfully into the small of her back as she rolled over it, and her gaze fell on a device that had been swept off the table from her impact. She palmed it quickly, forming a fist to keep Red Canary from seeing what was in her hand, and approached the Red Canary, dodging behind a pillar to avoid the initial sonic scream before sending one of her own. This sent Red Canary spiraling backwards into the motor pool, which suited the plan Black Siren had in mind simply fine.

Activating the explosive, she had swiped, Black Siren flung it into the motor pool, where it landed between the recovering Red Canary and an oil drum. As Red Canary stood, the explosive went off, and the oil drum went up in flames, flames that engulfed the Red Canary from behind. Her sonic scream became a wail of pain, which brought the lights over the nerve center crashing down as the flaming woman flailed and tried to put herself out before collapsing in agony, her cries becoming fainter as she burned until finally nothing remained.

"I'm trying really hard not to make a quip about cooked birds right now," Curtis said, his stomach churning from the smell of burning human flesh.

"That would be good," Rory snapped, glaring at him for his lack of brain-to-mouth filter before turning back to check on Evelyn. Black Siren grabbed a fire extinguisher, followed by Curtis a moment later, and set to getting rid of the blaze even as Thea and Roy entered, ready for a fight that had just ended.

_***DC*** _

Talia smirked from where she was seated on Oliver's desk. "You handled the reporters well, Oliver," she told him. "Like a true politician. But I am no reporter."

"I understand Adrian's vendetta against me," Oliver said as he circled around behind his desk, and Talia stood and turned to face him, "but you? What have I done to earn your willingness to aid a man like him, a man who would murder _innocents_ when you gave me the path to defend them?"

"You killed his father," Talia said coolly. "Just as you did mine. I never told you my full name, did I?"

"No, you didn't," Oliver said, but a sneaking suspicion was beginning to form in his mind, and if he was right, he had a feeling he knew what this was all really about.

"It's Talia al Ghul," Talia told him coolly, but proudly.

"Ra's was your father," Oliver said. "But I'm guessing, since Nyssa was the Heir, you and he parted ways."

"We did, but he was still my father when you killed him," Talia told him.

"How much of this is from loyalty to Ra's," Oliver began, "and how much is from the fact that I didn't take the role of the Demon's Head or give it to a _worthy_ successor?"

Talia's nostrils flared for a moment, before her expression became once more neutral. "Very clever, Oliver. Yes, my loyalty to my father has not waned, but more so my loyalty to that which he swore his life to. You gave the power first to Malcolm Merlyn, who cared little for it beyond his own gratification and whatever plans he intended once he had fully-consolidated his power, and then to my sister, who disbanded the League and destroyed the ring."

"You mean this ring?" Oliver said, pulling the Ring of the Demon from his pocket. He had retrieved it and kept it with him, debating between resurrecting the League as he observed more and more problems taking hold in the world. Talia couldn't hide her surprise at the sight. "Nyssa destroyed a forgery. Malcolm never learned the truth about the Ring, and therefore he never knew it couldn't be destroyed by normal means." Oliver offered it to Talia. "The world needs the League of Assassins," he said quietly, "I realize that now. But I cannot be the Demon's Head, Talia. I have too many commitments. But you… you trained to be the Demon's Head at one time, I'm sure. You've committed your life to fighting in the shadows to serve the common good, to act as a balance against corruption. You deserve the Ring, Talia, more than I or Nyssa ever could."

Talia took the Ring from her former student, examining it closely to ensure that _this_ was not a forgery and he was lying to save his skin. But no, she felt the power sleeping within it, the power to recall the League's forces if she so desired. She slipped the ring on her finger. "I will call off my vendetta against you, Oliver," she told, "but your team, or what's left of it, will not be able to call on the League as you have in the past. We are not mongrels to be called upon to defend a master. We are a society with our own code, or own laws, and we will not bow to _anyone_ , even those who have given us aid. The most you can expect is that we will spare your city so long as you are its guardian."

Talia left the office, and Oliver sat down in his chair, sighing with relief. The fight was over, and they had won _without_ the city becoming a war zone like in years passed. But what had Talia just said? _Your team, or what's left of it_. Oliver stood again and prepared to ditch his guards so he could check on his team at the Bunker.

_***DC*** _

It was night-time, and Green Arrow was joined on his patrol by Black Siren. The two of them took up a perch on the rooftop of Palmer Technologies, the former Queen Consolidated, and looked out at the city. Green Arrow turned to Black Siren, who he could tell was feeling conflicted. "You didn't risk the redemption you've been seeking, Dinah," he told her quietly. "You did what you had to do to protect the team and yourself. Some enemies simply cannot be bargained or reasoned with. Some of them just want to watch the world burn, and I think this Red Canary was one of them. If you had held back, she would have killed you, then the rest of the team, one-by-one, all because she liked the killing."

"Ollie-" Black Siren began, then shook her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't call you that."

"I don't mind," Green Arrow said, "and you've earned the right. You've fought by my side, protected the team, and protected the city. You've earned the right to call me by the name you know me by best, even if it’s a different version."

"Ollie," Black Siren began again, this time a bit more confident, "I'm just sorry I couldn't be there when Talia confronted you. It went well, I know, but what if it hadn't?"

"We could live our lives thinking of what ifs, Dinah," Green Arrow said softly. "But doing that would make us worse than our enemies, because we'd be distracted as their plans moved forward." He placed a hand on her chin, getting her to look at him. "You've proven that there's plenty of Laurel Lance still in you, and that's someone I want at my side. You should take the name Black Canary if you want. Some would argue you don't deserve it, but you've earned it as far as I'm concerned… pretty bird."

Black Siren's heart fluttered in her chest. It was a nickname her Ollie had given her when they were younger, because of how agile and graceful she was. He had told her she was like a bird, and that he loved that about her. That this Ollie had the same name for her reminded her that there were plenty of similarities between the two. The main difference being this one was on par with her in fighting skill and was willing to fight against injustice, like she was, while the Ollie she had known had wanted to coast through life.

The two stared at one another for a moment longer, then began to draw close to each other. A moment later, their lips met, and it was like the world had exploded as they deepened their connection, pouring their feelings for one another, feelings that had been building for months based on both their interactions and the similarities in looks to their deceased partners, into the kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, the two pulled away, and there was a smile on both their faces.

In the next instant, though, their moment of happiness was reduced to tragedy as Black Siren vanished in a streak of golden lightning and a whoosh of air, leaving Green Arrow touching only air where Black Siren's cheek had been. His fingers twitched for a moment, as though still stroking her cheek, and then they clenched into a fist. He uttered only one word.

" _Flash_."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N; I hope everyone enjoyed this story, whether this is a re-read for you or your first time through. I am working on an updated version of this story, but I might do a sequel to this one exploring what happens after the last scene if there’s enough interest.
> 
> A lot of the end-chapter notes I posted for this story in the original form were just random comments about events at the time, like how the Arrow writers were completely ignoring KC’s head-canon for her character.


End file.
